Ten EFL New Save Ideas for FM 24
Richard David Pike's Beyond The Big Five Newsletter: Edition 7
1) Sheffield Wednesday FC
First up amongst EFL new save ideas for FM24 is a club overdue some feel-good factor once more after a torrid summer and torrid start to a new season. Founded in 1867, Sheffield Wednesday emerged in the early 20th century as one of English football’s more successful clubs. The Owls are four times English champions with their title wins coming in batches of two back-to-back, firstly pre-World War One (1902-03 & 1903/04) and secondly in-between World Wars (1928/29 & 1929/30). After missing automatic Championship promotion despite procuring 96 points, Wednesday atoned in the play-offs, producing a stunning semi-final 2nd leg comeback against Peterborough United before beating South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley 1-0 in the final.
However, excitement quickly extinguished over the summer, manager Darren Moore was not retained, his replacement Xisco Munoz fired after 10 winless games and Wednesday sit bottom of the Championship during the October international break. In many ways, it has typified the 21st century for The Owls, relegated from the Premier League in 1999/00, they have yet to return, heavy spending under Thai owner Dejphon Chansiri has not yielded the desired Premier League return. Even the successful early 1990’s which yielded an EFL Cup victory (1991), two domestic cup finals (1993) and four consecutive top seven finishes between 1990/91 and 1993/94 seem light years away, let alone the pre-World War Two glory era. Can you be the manager to finally return Sheffield Wednesday to the top flight, establish them there and maybe deliver some trophies?
2) Plymouth Argyle FC
Staying in the Championship, we now move to another newly-promoted club from last season in the shape of Plymouth Argyle. Founded in 1886, The Pilgrims’ achievement in 2022/23 has to go down as one of the best third tier promotions, achieved amidst relentless pressure from high-budgeted rivals Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday in addition to procuring over 100 points. Argyle’s last adventure in English football’s 2nd tier lasted an impressive five seasons, including narrowly missing the play-offs in 2007/08 with a tenth-placed finish.
Plymouth is the largest city in England featuring a current EFL club that has never spent a season in its top division. As one of the lower-budgeted Championship teams for 2023/24, promotion to the Premier League is a tall-order for Argyle, with Championship survival and consolidation likely to be the club’s target in future upcoming seasons. Nonetheless, Luton Town’s shock Premier League promotion on a small Championship budget acts as a hope beacon that well-run clubs on smaller budgets can still prove competitive in an ever more-challenging environment. It is the inspiration you must adopt for this save idea, can you “do a Luton” and take Argyle to the top flight Premier League for the first-ever time?
3) Bristol City FC
The third and final club from the Championship in this list of EFL new save ideas comes from a club who appear to have been at the second tier forever and are in need of someone to push them into the top flight. Formed in 1894, Bristol City have only spent nine seasons of their entire existence playing in English football’s top tier. The second such spell took place between 1976/77 & 1979/80, when upon their top flight relegation, severe financial problems occurred which resulting in three consecutive relegations and near-extinction.
After winning promotion to the Championship for 2015/16, Bristol City have remained anchored in mid-table permanently, their highest finish being only 8th. Their previous spell in the 2nd tier between 2007/08 & 2012/13 saw similar mid-table stagnation except in 2007/08 when The Robins finished 4th in the league, narrowly missing top flight promotion, losing 1-0 to Hull City in the play-off final. Can you be the manager to stop the stagnation and propel Bristol City to the Premier League? Their Ashton Gate stadium has had a recent refurbishment, making it Premier League-ready, in addition, their academy & reserves set-up is baring fruit too with graduate Alex Scott sold for a reported £25 million to AFC Bournemouth this summer.
4) Wigan Athletic FC
Dropping into League One now, the next club on the list has endured some roller-coaster ride since their Premier League relegation in 2012/13. In the decade that has since passed, transitional mid-table consolidation, a feature every club has endured in their modern history has never been present at Wigan Athletic. The Latics brushed with Premier League promotion in 2013/14, were relegated four times from the Championship to League One (2014/15, 2016/17, 2019/20 & 2022/23) and were promoted three times in the other direction (2015/16, 2017/18 & 2021/22).
After enduring financial problems at the end of the 2022/23 Championship season, Wigan were deducted eight points for the start of the 2023/24 League One season. After the points deductions occurred, The Latics were acquired by Wigan-born businessman Michael Danson with a future goal to operate on a more-sustainable model focused around younger signings and promotion of promising academy prospects. Can you take Wigan Athletic back up the EFL to the promised land of the Premier League once more? The points deduction make a promotion challenge very tricky in the first season, so this new save will require patience and consolidation at the beginning before you can aim for promotions once again.
5) Stevenage FC
Staying in League One we move to a club promoted from League Two at the end of 2022/23 and one who return to the third tier for the first time since 2013/14. Stevenage FC first made headlines in 1995/96 when they finished as National League winners, yet were not promoted to League Two as their stadium didn’t meet EFL requirements. Just two seasons later, still as a non-league part-time club, The Boro made the 4th Round of the FA Cup, drawing their tie 1-1 at home vs Premier League Newcastle United before losing 2-1 away in the replay at St James Park. 2009/10 finally saw Stevenage promoted to the EFL as National League champions, where they have remained ever-since, though not without the fortune of earning a relegation reprieve in 2019/20 after financial problems engulfed relegation rivals Macclesfield Town.
Stevenage’s last spell in League One nearly saw them pull off a unique feat of three consecutive promotions in three seasons. After winning promotion to League One for 2011/12, Stevenage finished 5th in their debut third tier campaign, narrowly losing 1-0 over two legs in their play-off semi-final against Sheffield United. The Hertfordshire club have never been as high as the second tier before in their history, can you now break boundaries with them and achieve an historic promotion?
6) Port Vale FC
The final EFL challenge from League One comes courtesy of Port Vale FC. Originally founded in the 1870’s before being re-established in 1907 after the original club entered financial difficulties, Port Vale have spent 112 seasons in the Football League. This is a record figure for any team who have never played top flight football in the English pyramid. In the modern era, the closest The Valiants have come to reaching the top division came in 1996/97 when under the management of John Rudge, Port Vale finished 8th in the Championship, missing the play-offs by just four points.
Port Vale’s last second tier appearance came in 1999/00 with the club fluctuating between League One and League Two ever since. In addition, they have not played against fierce local rivals Stoke City since February 2002 when both met in the third tier, Port Vale pulling off a 1-0 away victory. Could you be the manager to firstly return Vale to the second tier reviving the Potteries derby with Stoke once more before eventually guiding them to a debut season in the Premier League?
7) Notts County FC
Dropping into League Two for the first of four save ideas from England’s fourth tier, Notts County’s promotion back to the EFL, just four seasons after their historic first relegation from it opens up a fantastic long-term project for gamers. Founded in 1862, The Magpies are the oldest professional football club in the world and were founding members of the inaugural Football League season in 1888/89. 2022/23 saw a well-documented titanic title race with fellow National League club Wrexham FC, which The Red Dragons won in the league. However, Notts County shrugged off the disappointment, achieving play-off promotion in dramatic circumstances, two goals down at half-time of the semi-final vs Boreham Wood, they rallied to win 3-2 after-extra-time before then triumphing over Chesterfield on penalties in the final.
In 1991/92, Notts County played in English football’s final top flight season before its re-organisation and the formation of the Premier League. As a top-flight member before its existence, Notts County attended all Premier League discussion meetings, having a say in its foundation, but like Luton Town, were relegated at the end of the campaign and have never played in the league they helped create. Luton famously returned to the top flight of English football for 2023/24 after 31 years away and a spell playing in non-league football. Can you now achieve a similar feat with The Magpies?
8) Gillingham FC
If Port Vale hold the record number of EFL season participations without ever playing in English football’s top flight, Gillingham FC are another club with a long EFL history who have never previously graced the top division. Founded in 1893, The Gills first played in the EFL in 1920 with pre-World War Two and post-war seasons seeing them firstly be voted out of the league for Ipswich Town in 1937/38 before being voted back into the EFL for 1950 after an expansion from 88 to 92 clubs. In the modern-era, Gillingham were particularly famous for a third tier play-off final in 1999 featuring themselves and Manchester City. As Gillingham led 2-0 with minutes remaining, two late goals from The Cityzens tied the game, which eventually was won by City on penalties, a game viewed as a crucial turning point in City’s history by their own fans.
Gillingham’s highest-ever standing in the EFL pyramid was a five season spell in the Championship between 2000/01 and 2004/05 with their highest-ever finish being 11th in 2002/03. The club have yet to return to this level since and endured a particularly tough 2022/23 campaign, finishing 17th in League Two, just a season after relegation from League One. However, under new American-based owner Brad Galinson, The Gills are aiming to climb the EFL pyramid again. Can you be the manager to firstly take Gillingham back to the second tier before then a first-ever Premier League promotion?
9) Bradford City FC
The penultimate club on this EFL list and penultimate League Two offering is one who started the new millennium as a top flight club but as 2023/24 comes around look so far from a return. Just eight years after their foundation, Bradford City won the 1910/11 FA Cup, their only major honour to date, which alongside a top flight 5th placed finish capped off a fine campaign. After relegation from the top division in 1921/22, it took The Bantams 77 years to return following a 2nd placed finish in the 1998/99 Championship under the management of Paul Jewell. Bradford then defied the odds in their 1999/00 season, surviving when many tipped them to be relegated thanks to a 1-0 home victory over Liverpool at Valley Parade on the season’s final day.
As 2000/01 began Bradford had just finished a first European campaign, which ended in a semi-final Intertoto Cup loss to Zenit St Petersburg, they were relegated at the end of that season, struggling in the aftermath of Paul Jewell’s departure. There have been more downs than ups since, a rare bright moment in 2012/13 where manager Phil Parkinson masterminded a promotion to League One in addition to reaching the 2013 EFL Cup final, the first fourth-tier side to do so since Rochdale in 1962. With an estimated metropolitan borough district population of 546,412 inhabitants and a 25,136 capacity stadium, Bradford City has potential to reach a much higher standing in English football once more. Can you be the manager to re-incarnate their Premier League days under Paul Jewell once again?
10) Harrogate Town FC
Our final club on the list is another Yorkshire club but more North Yorkshire as opposed to Bradford’s location in West Yorkshire and one currently playing at their highest-ever level in English football. Founded in 1919, Harrogate Town had spent 101 years as a non-league club going into the 2019/20 National League season, which was curtailed early due to Covid-19. Missing out on points-per-game to Barrow AFC for automatic promotion, The Sulphurites defeated Boreham Wood in the play-off semi-finals and followed it up with a 3-1 win over Notts County in the play-off final to secure a first-ever promotion to the EFL.
Despite struggles since debuting in the EFL with 17th, 19th and 19th League Two finishes respectively in their first three seasons in the 4th tier, the club have managed to retain their EFL status. North Yorkshire rivals to Harrogate Town, the now defunct Scarborough Town and York City have never managed to reach a level higher than the 3rd tier of English football. Already playing at their highest level in the English pyramid, Harrogate’s foundations appear sound, can you now break boundaries which Scarborough and York could not and reach the second tier Championship?